It’s good to share… but…
Before you hit SHARE… a few things worth remembering!
- Make sure what you’re sharing is public!
When sharing something on Facebook and other social media, check that the original post or content is public. If you share something from a private Facebook group, it will only be visible to other members of that group. Everyone else will probably see a message saying that the content isn’t available. Everything will look fine at your end because you’re a member of the group, but others won’t be able to see it!
If it’s a link to an article, website or video, it’s often best to share that link directly rather than sharing the Facebook post.
If you’re sharing someone else’s post, click through to the original post first and share that, rather than sharing someone else’s share of it. This helps keep the link to the original source. But is this something you should share, which brings us to point number 2
- Think twice about those “Please share” posts!
If something asks you to copy and paste a message into your own Facebook post, stop and think for a moment. Is this something you would actually write and share yourself?
Many of these posts are designed to generate engagement, spread a particular message or simply clog up our newsfeeds. Some are harmless, but others can be misleading, manipulative or designed to collect information.
If you agree with something, it’s often better to write a few words of your own explaining why you think it’s worth sharing.
- Check before you share!
Just because something appears on Facebook doesn’t make it true! Before sharing a news story, photograph, statistic or inspirational quotation, take a moment to check its source. Is it genuine? Is it current? Has the photograph been taken out of context? Could the information be misleading?
www.snopes.com is a good place to verify the accuracy of many of the claims that circulate around the internet.
If in doubt, don’t share it!
- Read beyond the headline!
Headlines are often designed to grab attention and provoke a reaction. Make sure you understand what an article is actually saying before passing it on. Sharing something based on a headline alone can sometimes spread a very different message from the one intended.
- Check the date!
Old news stories, photographs and appeals regularly reappear as if they are current. Check when something was originally published. This is particularly important with missing-person appeals, fundraising requests, road closures, community notices and emergency information.
- Think about the source and the original author!
Give credit where it’s due. If someone has created a photograph, written an article or produced a graphic, try to share the original source rather than downloading and reposting it without acknowledgement.
Be especially careful with content that has been copied and circulated without any indication of where it came from.
- Be mindful of privacy!
Before sharing photographs, particularly of children, young people or vulnerable adults, consider whether you have permission. Not everyone wants their photograph or personal information appearing on social media.
Also be careful about sharing screenshots of private conversations, WhatsApp messages or information from closed groups.
- Don’t feed the trolls!
Not everything deserves a response, a comment or a share. Some posts are deliberately designed to provoke anger, arguments or division. Sharing them, even to criticise them, can give them a much wider audience.
Sometimes the best response is simply to scroll on!
- Add a little context of your own!
If you’re sharing something interesting, useful or important, add a sentence or two explaining why you’re sharing it. What caught your attention? Why might others find it interesting? What would you like people to take from it?
A little personal context can make a shared post much more meaningful.
- Ask yourself: does this add something worthwhile?
Our newsfeeds are already pretty full! Before sharing, consider whether the post is interesting, helpful, encouraging, informative or genuinely worth passing on. We don’t need to share everything we come across.
And remember, sharing something is a form of endorsement, whether you intend it to be or not.
A final thought: Social media is a wonderful way of keeping people connected, sharing good news, encouraging one another and spreading useful information. Let’s make sure what we share is accurate, accessible, appropriate and adds something positive to the conversation!